Automatic relief-valve for steam-radiators.



W. W. BRISSENDEN.

AUTOMATIG-RELIEP VALVE FOB. STEAM RADIATQRS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1904.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

/I 1 I l v WALTER W.'BRISSE1IDEI L OF CHICAGO,

SPECIALTY COMPANY,

ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL STEAM OLE CHICAGG, ELLINOIS, A CORPORATION.

AUTGMATIU RELIEFVALVE FDR STEAM-'RADIATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, llllllltt Application filed July 22, 1904. SerialllofilZSSO.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, llAL'rnn W. BRISSEN- nnx, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cookcounty, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Relief" Valves for Steam-Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic relief valves for steam radiators; and it contem plates broadly a yielding seat against which either end ofthe expansible valve may bear or rest, so .as to prevent injury to the valve should the said expansible member continue to expand beyond the limits necessary for just closing the Valve, in combination with means whereby the displacement of said yielding seat is indicated; and more specifically 1t contemplates an improvement on the form of valve shown in application No.

196,325, filed 1) me in the United States Patent ()tlice 'or improvements in relief valves for radiators.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of an automatic relief valve embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the improved valve seat shown at the upper portion of Fig. 1; Fig. at is a section on line l4 in Fig. 3.

So far as the broad idea of providing a yielding seat for either end of theexpansible valve member is concerned, it will be readily understood that the general.=.--co-nstruction of the valve may be of any suitable, known or approved character. As hereinillustrated, however, the general construction of the valve comprises a casing iii, an expan'sible member B provided with a metal sheath or sleeve 1'), an adjustable valve seatt), and .a covering plug D. it will be seen that the valve as a. whole is also provided with a coupling E on its lower end; andthe casing between its ends may be slightly enlarged to provide a chamber a,

i which expands readily when subiectedtothe and can be provided at its lower end with a shoulder or ledge a). The interior surface of the 11 per end of the casing is pret crably l'lll'etlt ed to receive the adjustable valve scat'and the covering plug. As illns trated, said expansible member B consists of a tube b of any well knownmaterial heat. ll 'ith this arrangement, the air can enter the and thence pass upwardly and over the upper end of the expansible member B,-,and thence escape downwardly through the .air passage 5 of said member. As soon as the steam enters the valve, the heat will then cause the member B to expand until its upper end engages the valve seat C. In this way, the valve automatically closes as soon as the air has escaped from the radiator.

.In practice, it is customary to adjust the valve structure as a whole with relation to the normal or desired temperature for the steam; and this is the general practice with all valves. with the old construction of valve, should the expansible member at any time be subjected to an abnormally high temperature, the expansible composition will most likely become crushed or buckl some other way. The adjustable valve seat 0 is, therefore, preferably constructed as follows: The seat is composed preferably of an externally threaded body portion 0 provided with a chamber 0 having a shoulder or ledge a formed around the lower edge of the body. The upper end of said valve-seatbody can be provided with a portion 0 whereby it can be screwed into and out of the valve casing by means of a screw driver or other tool. 'lhevalve-seat as a whole includes a plate 0* having a concave lower face and having also, a number of lugs 0 pro ectin upwardly around its edge or perimeter.

Said plate is of a size to fit the chamber 0 but loosely enough to permit leakage around its edges, and thence upwardly through theopening or indicating device w, when the said plate is raisedfrom its seat or restin'g place on the ledge 0. Normally, said plate is maintained in place. upon said ledge c by means of a .spring t interposed between the crown or upper wall of the chamber 0 and the convex or 11 )per stir-faces of said plate. In this way, sai plate can rise from its seat or resting place; and at such time the lugs c which are provided with straightor vertical bearing faces prevent the late from binding against the side walls 0 the chamlocr in which it is located. .In use, the valveseat C thus constructed is screwed down in the casing A until it arrives at a point where the upper end of the expansible valve-mem- It is obvious, therefore, that ed, or injured in valve-member, be displaced by face is ind-icaltedl whereby displacement of seam structure as a whole having a lower outlet -valve-member consisting of a tube of expansible material inclosed within a Jacket '1) or. sleeve of suitable material, and an. ad-

justable valve-seat screwed into the upper portion. of said casing and provided with a spring-pressed plate adapted to be engaged by the upper end of said valve-member when thelatter expands ,under the influence of heat, said valve-member being provided with a longitudinal outlet passage-controlled by said spring pressed plate, and the structure as a whole having a lower outlet and a lateral inlet, said inlet being disposed be tween the upper and lower ends of said said valve-seat adapted to the movement of the valvememberin the jacket or sleeve, and means s'aid'plate isindicated.

7. A valve comprising a valve-member adapted to expand when subjected to heat, and a spring-pressed valve-seat, the said valve-seat and its spring backing beingnondetachable from each other and organized into a structure which is removable as a unit from the interior of the. balance of the valve structure, the spring being fully inclosed by such unit, and means whereby displacement of said seat is indicated. Y

8. A valve comprising a valve-casing, an

' expansible valve-member within said casing,

and an adjustable valve-seat screwed into the upper end of said casing and provided withaspring pressed face adapted to be engaged by the upper end of said valvemember when the latter expands under the influence of heat, said valve-member being provided with a metal sheatlr or sleeve to which it is secured at one point only in its length, whereby the said valve-member has" substantially a. full length frictional engagement with the inner surface of said sheath or sleeve,- the said valve-face and its spring backing being non-detachable from each other and organized into a structure which is removable as a unit from the interior of the balance of the valve structure, the spring being fully inclosedlby such unit, and means whereby displacement of said 9. A valve' comprising a; valve-member adapted to expand when subjected to heat.

and a spring-pressed valve-seat, togetlier.

with a passage controlled bysaid valve-seat and adapted tobe openedwhen said seat is displaced from its normal position by excessive expansion 0 the part of said valvemember.

10. A valve comprising a valveemember by said a lower valve-seat,

valve-member, together with a trolled bysaid spring-pressed valve-seatand position by excessive adapted to expand when subjected to heat, and an adjustable valve-seat provided with a spring-pressed face adapted to be engaged valve-member when the latter expands under the influence of heat, or when said valve-seat is adjusted against the valve-- member, together with a passage controlled y said spring-pressed valve-seat and adapted to be opened when said seat is displaced from its normal position by excessive expansion on the part of said valve-member, or when the valve-seat is adjusted into contact with the valve member. v

11. A valve comprising a valve-member adapted to expand when subjected to heat,

and an adjustable valveseat provided w-ith a spring-pressed face adapted to be engaged by said valve-member when the latter expands under the influence of heat, or when the valve-seat is adjusted into contact with said valve-member, said valve-member being loosely disposed be tween said spring-pressed valve-seat at the top and the other and the structure as a whole having a lower outlet and a lateral inlet, the said inlet being disposed between the said upper and lower valve-seats, together with a passage controlled by said and adapted to be opened when said seat cessive expansion on the part of said valveinember, or \vhen the valve-seat is-adjusted lnto contact with said valve-member.

12. A valve comprising a valve-casing,"

valve-seat at the bottom,.

spring-pressed valve-seat is displaced from its normal position by exan expansible valve-member within said casing, and an adjustable valve-seat screwed into the upper end of said casing and provided with a 'spring-pressedface adapted to be engaged by the upper end of said valve member when the latter expands under the influence of heat, or when the valve-seat is adjusted into contact with said valve-incinber, said valve-member being provided with a longitudinal outlet passage controlled by the valve composed of the said valve-seat and the upper end of the valve-member, and the structure as a whole having a lower outlet and a lateral inlet, said inlet bein disposed between the upper and lower ends of said passage conadapted to be suitably affected to indicate when said seat is displaced from its normal expansion on the part of said valve-m'en1ber, or when the valveseat is adjusted.

13..In a device of the class specified, a valve-casing,; av-hollow plug screwed into the one end of the casing and adjustable therein to vary the position of the valve-seat relatively to the end of-said valve-member, and means whereby displacement of said seat .is indicated.

14. In a device of the class specified, a valve-casing, a hollow plug screwed into the casing,'a spring inclosed in said lug, a movable valve-seat in the 'end of said plug yieldingly held in place by said spring, and a hollow heat-operated valve-member adapted to engage said valve seat to close passage through said member, said plug closing one end of the casing and adjustable therein to vary the position of the valve-seat relatively to the end of said valve-member, and means whereby displacement of said seat is'indi-' cated.

15. In a radiator relief valve, the combination of an expansible valve-member, a casing, and a plug screwed into said casing, said plug provided at one end with a displaceable seat to be engaged by said valvemember to close the passage through the valve, and at the other end with means permitting displacement of said seat to besuitably indicated. 1

16. In a radiator relief valve, the combination of an expansible valve-member, a displaceable seat to be engaged by said valvemember to close the passage through the valve, and means controlled by said seat for esaaia permitting displacement thereof to be suitably, indicated. 4

17. In an air valve for radiators, the combination of a valve-member adapted to expand when-subjected to heat, an adjustable member and a yieldable device carried subjectedto heat, a member adjustable toward and from said expansible member and carrying a spring-actuated yieldable device against which said valve-member is adapted to seat, the arts being so combined that adjustment of 'themovable member into 0011 tact with the valve-member displaces the yielding device, the movable member and the yielding device embodying means for conjointly indicating exteriorly to the easing the displacement of the yielding device. Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 7th day of July 1904.

WALTER V. BRISSENDEN. \Vitnesses:

CLARENCE M. THORNE, E. A. GARDINER. 

